The radiative impact of desert dust on orographic rain in the Cévennes–Vivarais area: a case study from HyMeX

A significant dust plume from northern Africa, characterized by high aerosol optical depth, was observed to influence orographic rainfall in the Cévennes–Vivarais area during a 2012 HyMeX campaign. The study found that this dust induced localized heating of up to +3 K and increased convective available potential energy by up to +900 J kg⁻¹, yet its radiative impact on 24-hour rainfall accumulation was marginal. High-resolution simulations using the Meso-NH model, validated against extensive ground-based, airborne, and space-borne data, revealed that while dust altered atmospheric conditions, its transient nature in dynamic Mediterranean environments limited its effect on precipitation patterns.

Flamant, C., Chaboureau, J.-P., Chazette, P., Di Girolamo, P., Bourrianne, T., Totems, J., & Cacciani, M. (2015). The radiative impact of desert dust on orographic rain in the Cévennes–Vivarais area: a case study from HyMeX. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 15(21), 12231–12249. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12231-2015